Three roles every kit should fill
Something useful at the desk or in the field, something wearable that signals belonging, and something personal that acknowledges the individual.
Sizing is the hard part
Apparel raises sizing, inventory and reorder questions. Decide up front whether you collect sizes at offer acceptance or ship apparel separately.
Logistics
Remote hires change everything: address collection, delivery timing relative to start date, and who follows up on a missed delivery.
Real Bagley work
See the principle in practice
The TekPartners onboarding kit shows the difference between a loose collection of swag and a coordinated first-day experience built around packaging, useful product, messaging, kitting and delivery.
Employee onboarding
Executed program
TekPartners — “Welcome to the Team” Onboarding Kit
An executed employee onboarding kit built around branded packaging, curated products, welcome messaging, kitting and fulfillment — so a new hire's first impression arrives assembled, not improvised.
See this program in Our WorkOnboarding kit build checklist
- 1Pick one useful item, one wearable item and one personal item — resist adding more
- 2Decide when sizes get collected: at offer acceptance or as a separate apparel step
- 3Set a per-kit budget that includes packaging, not just the items inside
- 4Confirm the delivery window relative to start date for remote vs. in-office hires
- 5Assign ownership for missed deliveries and late starts
Planning mistakes to avoid
Adding apparel without a sizing plan
Apparel is the item most likely to sit in a closet unworn if it doesn't fit, and the most common reason onboarding kits stall before a start date. Decide the sizing mechanism before you commit to garments.
Treating remote hires as an afterthought
A kit designed around shipping from one office to one building breaks the first time a hire works from home. Build the remote path in from the start, not as a patch.
Overloading the kit
More items doesn't read as more generous — it reads as clutter and raises cost. Three well-chosen pieces beat six forgettable ones.
Where Bagley changes the outcome
We see the sizing question stall more onboarding programs than budget ever does. Our welcome kit planner forces that decision early, and we can kit and hold inventory so a new hire's kit is ready the day HR needs it shipped — not built to order after the start date is already close.
Common questions
- Should apparel sizes be collected during the offer process?
- It's the most reliable point — candidates are paying attention and response rates are higher than after start date. If that's not possible, plan to ship apparel as a short follow-up rather than delaying the whole kit.
- How far in advance should a kit be ready?
- Ready to ship before the offer is signed is ideal for a tight start-date turnaround. With custom-spec items, plan on roughly 4–6 weeks after artwork approval, so build that into your hiring calendar.
- Can kits be shipped straight to a new hire's home?
- Yes — we can ship individually to home addresses or in bulk to a location for local handout, and plan around whichever your hiring process actually uses.